What brought you to start your business or get into your industry? I was just a kid at 18 and started in Hospitality!! By 20, I was a Manager working full-time and putting myself through college full-time. It was incredibly hard covering last minute night audit shifts and getting through finals, but it pushed me to prioritize and work extremely hard; not to mention it was the best job for a college student. Several of my classmates studying hospitality and my professors at UNC would ask me to talk about my industry and give them real life insights. I majored in International Affairs and so much was relevant to my career but also gave me the opportunity to understand the business aspect and cultural piece of hospitality.
What do you love most about what you do? The relationships and career development with my team members. There is nothing better than finding an under-developed Housekeeping Executive or a green Front Desk Supervisor and working with them, inspiring them, and guiding them on a career path. I managed a Best Western in college, and I had a Room Attendant that was incredibly detail-oriented and great with negative guest experiences; she was always able to turn a situation around. So I told her I wanted to teach her Front Desk. She was super hesitant and didn't feel comfortable. But eventually, she started to enjoy it, and I began to cross-train her in events, and eventually get her involved in a few sales projects. She went on to become a GM herself. Being able to cultivate and bring people with me to new projects and hotels keeps me inspired and going in an industry that was especially devastated during COVID.
How can the Chamber help you? Groups and networking for myself and my property leaders so that we are able to meet others in the area and be able to work with other businesses on events and best practices. Any social media promotional assistance too. 🙂
